The World’s Most Unusual Drone Photos

They say the best photos tell a story. Thanks to the advances in drone photography – we now have access to even more of the most impressive, and most unusual, stories the world has to offer!

Such as…

1) Shuttle Shot

Image credit: Arthur West – Airtog

This amazing shot from Merritt Island, USA at first glance is clearly a space shuttle. It’s only on the second look when you start to wonder why it is on an enormous floating raft.

In fact, this is a photo of the ‘mock’ space shuttle, ‘Inspiration’. It is the same full-size shuttle model that sat outside the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Florida, west of NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre – for nearly 20 years.

In January of 2016, though, NASA started to use the shuttle as an educational outreach tool, fitting it with a state-of-the-art theatre and touring it, atop a barge, up and down America’s rivers to bring the 120-foot-long model to people who may have never seen a shuttle in-person.

“It is kind of an educational and promotional thing,” said John Pederson, the chief executive officer of LVX System, when asked about it. All we know is – it’s an amazing idea and an amazing drone shot!

2) That Dam Drone

Image credit: Brendon Dixon/SkyPixel

Near the Upper Huia Reservoir in West Auckland, New Zealand is the Huia Dam. Opened in 1929, the Huai Dam is part of the Waitakere Ranges. Overall there are five dams in the Waitakere Ranges which make up about 26 percent of Auckland’s water.

From the image, you can get some sense of the scale of water that flows through the dam every day. The Huai Dam’s capacity is 6.4 gigalitres. A gigalitre is a billion litres. So, in the photo, cascading underneath the thin bridge over the cavernous drop where the photographer is lying – flows 6.4 billion litres of water. Now, that’s cool.

3) Aerial 51

Image credit: Hans Faulkner / YouTube

Drone photos are often seen as invaluable to try and prove conspiracies. One drone pilot, for instance, managed to get aerial footage of where Area 51 supposedly is in America.

The US Air Force base in Nevada has been the subject of intense rumour since the 1950’s. Soon after the drone photos were taken, ‘no drone’ signs sprung up all around the area, only heightening the mystery.

4) Stunning Sigiriya

Image credit: JCourtial

Meet the Eighth Wonder of the World, Sri Lanka’s most valuable historical monument and its most visited tourist site.

Known as Sigiriya Citadel Rock, this ancient palace on a rocky plateau is found right at the heart of the island between the towns of Dambulla and Habarane. Formed from the magma of an extinct volcano, it’s located a towering 370 meters above sea level and 200 meters higher than the surrounding jungles. In many ways, drone photos are the only way we can properly appreciate its true majesty!

Not only is the fortress palace enormous, it’s also surrounded by gardens, ponds, canals, alleys and even fountains. You think it looks stunning? So did UNESCO, who declared it a World Heritage site in 1982!

4) Seeds of Humanity

Image credit: Ole G. Hertzenberg

The photo above might just look like a stretch of coastline, but the image actually captures humanity’s back-up for survival.

This is the arctic island of Spitsbergen in Norway. Under 650 miles from the North Pole, the white domed building right in the middle is actually a seed vault – the Svalbard Global Seed Vault to be precise.

Designed in 20016, the vault holds over 860,000 ‘back-up’ seed samples, in case there is ever a natural disaster so vast that the Earth’s crops are either destroyed or rendered unusable. The seeds are kept as a chilly -18°C. The reason for choosing Spitsbergen? It’s so remote, that it should survive flood even if the polar ice caps melt. A long way to go – but a drone photo that’s worth it!

Got a drone photo you think is unusual? Share it with us on Facebook and Twitter!

Some of these drone photographers went to great lengths to get these images. If you want to be able to capture stunning drone photos, but also want to make sure your drone is protected –tailored drone insurance from Insure4Drones is the way forward. Get your instant quote today and see how affordable peace of mind can be!

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